Clemson will once again be without James Mays, who is still out with a hip injury. The Tigers were able to win without him on Tuesday against Purdue, but it will be interesting to see how long the Tigers can keep winning without the senior forward. Fortunately, he is expected to be back in the lineup by Dec. 20.

The Tigers have shot well from behind the arc this season, and have gotten a boost from sophomore David Potter, who has hit nine of his 12 three-point attempts this season. By comparison, he hit only seven in 41 attempts last year, and is averaging 6.3 points per game so far this season.

USC has gotten big contributions from a pair of transfers this season in guards Devan Downey and Zam Frederick. The duo is averaging a combined 33.3 points per game this year, and contributed to a school record 16 three-point attempts against Campbell earlier in the week.

Key Player

Clemson guard Cliff Hammonds is having an outstanding senior season, and is one of the main reasons the Tigers are ranked in the Top 25. His 25-7 assist to turnover ratio ranks number one in the ACC, and his career ratio is the fourth best in school history. Hammonds is sharing the duties of running the Clemson offense with freshman Demontez Stitt following the departure of Vernon Hamilton a season ago.

Bottom line

As evidenced by their performance against Campbell, the Gamecocks love to shoot the deep ball. Luckily for the Tigers, their best players will be out on the perimeter guarding them. Cliff Hammonds is an excellent defender, and K.C. Rivers should also come outside to help against the Gamecocks’ sharp shooting transfers. With a freshman center inside for USC, the loss of Mays shouldn’t hurt the Tigers too bad, as Clemson center Trevor Booker is coming off a strong performance against Purdue.